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Big Bear's Resident Bald Eagles Jackie And Shadow Welcome Their First Egg of 2024
Bald eagle Jackie is seen laying an egg as captured by the Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam
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Screenshot of footage captured by Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Next Cam
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Big Bear Lake's most famous bald eagle couple might be expanding their family.
About 5,000 people were tuning in on Thursday to nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley's livestream when Jackie and her mate Shadow welcomed their first egg of the season.
Bald eagles usually prefer to live in areas with trees and large bodies of water, according to Amber Schenk, director of the Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project at the Institute for Wildlife Studies.
That means these big birds are relatively scarce in the Los Angeles area — according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the area around Big Bear Lake is one of just a few areas on the mainland of Southern California where bald eagles are known to nest.
Schenk said events like Jackie and Shadow's new egg can raise awareness of other efforts to conserve bald eagles populations, like not using lead ammunition and staying away from nests.
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"If people can relate to what they're seeing in their homes, on their TVs, or on their computers, then they have a greater chance of wanting to continue to conserve those species," Schenk said.
The Institute for Wildlife Studies, which works with bald eagles on the Channel Islands, also runs livestreams to share the lives of their own resident eagles — like Jak, Cruz and Chase — with the world.
"People really get attached to the pairs and their life history: What goes on every year? What are they doing?" Schenk said. "They all have names, so that makes them more human to us. But, you know, especially seeing those babies grow up is something that, you know, no one should miss that."
The incubation period for bald eagle eggs is about 35 days, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. That means the egg might hatch on or around Feb. 29.
Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that eggs will produce viable offspring — last year, Jackie and Shadow had to abandon their nest after their eggs failed to hatch.
Watch Jackie, Shadow and their egg live on Friends of Big Bear Valley's website or their YouTube channel.
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